(WWJ) More that 15,000 children under the age of four in Michigan don't have a home, which is at least twice the number reported by the state's shelter system.
That's according to a new report by the Michigan League for Public Policy and Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan.
The lack of proper accounting for the number of homeless children means many are falling through the cracks, experts said. Any child in that situation needs services and support, said Jennifer Erb-Downward, a senior research associate for poverty solutions at U-M.
"This can have an impact on their development if they don't receive the appropriate services and support," Erb-Downward added.
Per MLive, a decade ago Michigan had 16,253 homeless K-12 students, a number that rose to 35,193 for the 2017-18 school year, the latest data from the Center for Educational Performance and Information.
"There are higher rates of homelessness in many of the rural areas," Erb-Downward said. "The largest numbers are in the urban areas. The most important takeaway is that this is something that all of Michigan is struggling with one way or another."
Researchers say along with having a better reporting system, policymakers should push for better coordinated services. The report says Alger, Arenac and Lake counties had the highest percentage of young children who are homeless.
About half of preschool children who are homeless have major developmental delay and are chronically absent from school.
See the school districts with the highest population of homeless students HERE.
